NSG 555 ACTUAL 2026 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Lupus nephritis - ✔✔Kidney inflammation caused by systemic lupus erythematosus.
✔✔ANA - ✔✔Antinuclear antibodies, a sensitive test for diagnosing lupus.
✔✔Proteinuria - ✔✔The presence of excess protein in urine, often a sign of kidney
damage.
✔✔Immunosuppressants - ✔✔Medications like Cyclophosphamide and Mycophenolate
mofetil used to treat severe lupus.
✔✔Vasculitis - ✔✔Inflammation of blood vessel walls leading to ischemia of tissues.
✔✔Palpable purpura - ✔✔Raised purple spots on the skin caused by bleeding
underneath, often seen in vasculitis.
✔✔High-dose corticosteroids - ✔✔Intensive steroid treatment used to manage severe
inflammation in conditions like vasculitis.
✔✔Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis) - ✔✔A chronic connective tissue disease
characterized by fibrosis, vascular dysfunction, and autoimmunity.
✔✔CREST syndrome - ✔✔A form of scleroderma characterized by Calcinosis,
Raynaud's phenomenon, Esophageal dysmotility, Sclerodactyly, and Telangiectasia.
✔✔Diffuse - ✔✔Widespread skin thickening, internal organ involvement (lung, kidney).
✔✔Tight, shiny skin - ✔✔Limited mouth opening.
✔✔Telangiectasia - ✔✔Digital pitting ulcers.
✔✔ANA positive - ✔✔Indicates autoimmune disease.
✔✔Anti-centromere antibody - ✔✔Indicates limited disease.
✔✔Anti-Scl-70 (topoisomerase I) - ✔✔Indicates diffuse disease.
✔✔Pulmonary function test - ✔✔Used to assess organ involvement.
✔✔Echocardiogram - ✔✔Used to assess organ involvement.
✔✔Management of scleroderma - ✔✔No cure—symptom-based.
, ✔✔Raynaud's treatment - ✔✔CCBs (Nifedipine).
✔✔Skin fibrosis treatment - ✔✔Methotrexate or Mycophenolate.
✔✔GERD treatment - ✔✔PPIs.
✔✔Renal crisis treatment - ✔✔ACE inhibitors (Captopril).
✔✔Vasodilators - ✔✔CCBs.
✔✔Antihypertensives - ✔✔ACE inhibitors.
✔✔GI meds - ✔✔PPIs.
✔✔Fatigue prevalence - ✔✔Common in primary care; affects up to 20% of adults, more
in women.
✔✔Fatigue pathophysiology - ✔✔Multifactorial — can result from metabolic, endocrine,
infectious, psychiatric, or medication-induced causes.
✔✔Central fatigue - ✔✔Impaired CNS arousal (e.g., depression, sleep deprivation).
✔✔Peripheral fatigue - ✔✔Muscle or neuromuscular dysfunction (e.g., anemia,
hypothyroidism).
✔✔Acute fatigue duration - ✔✔Less than 1 month.
✔✔Chronic fatigue duration - ✔✔More than 6 months.
✔✔Initial diagnostics for fatigue - ✔✔CBC → anemia, infection; CMP → renal/hepatic
disorders; TSH → thyroid dysfunction; ESR/CRP → inflammatory causes; Glucose/A1C
→ diabetes; Depression screening (PHQ-9), sleep assessment.
✔✔Differential diagnoses for fatigue - ✔✔Endocrine: Hypothyroidism, adrenal
insufficiency; Metabolic: Anemia, CKD; Psychiatric: Depression, anxiety; Infectious:
Mono, HIV, hepatitis; Medication-related: Beta-blockers, sedatives.
✔✔Management of fatigue - ✔✔Address underlying cause (e.g., treat anemia, manage
thyroid disease); Lifestyle: Sleep hygiene, physical activity, balanced diet;
Psychological: CBT for depression/anxiety.
✔✔Antidepressants for fatigue - ✔✔SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline).
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Lupus nephritis - ✔✔Kidney inflammation caused by systemic lupus erythematosus.
✔✔ANA - ✔✔Antinuclear antibodies, a sensitive test for diagnosing lupus.
✔✔Proteinuria - ✔✔The presence of excess protein in urine, often a sign of kidney
damage.
✔✔Immunosuppressants - ✔✔Medications like Cyclophosphamide and Mycophenolate
mofetil used to treat severe lupus.
✔✔Vasculitis - ✔✔Inflammation of blood vessel walls leading to ischemia of tissues.
✔✔Palpable purpura - ✔✔Raised purple spots on the skin caused by bleeding
underneath, often seen in vasculitis.
✔✔High-dose corticosteroids - ✔✔Intensive steroid treatment used to manage severe
inflammation in conditions like vasculitis.
✔✔Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis) - ✔✔A chronic connective tissue disease
characterized by fibrosis, vascular dysfunction, and autoimmunity.
✔✔CREST syndrome - ✔✔A form of scleroderma characterized by Calcinosis,
Raynaud's phenomenon, Esophageal dysmotility, Sclerodactyly, and Telangiectasia.
✔✔Diffuse - ✔✔Widespread skin thickening, internal organ involvement (lung, kidney).
✔✔Tight, shiny skin - ✔✔Limited mouth opening.
✔✔Telangiectasia - ✔✔Digital pitting ulcers.
✔✔ANA positive - ✔✔Indicates autoimmune disease.
✔✔Anti-centromere antibody - ✔✔Indicates limited disease.
✔✔Anti-Scl-70 (topoisomerase I) - ✔✔Indicates diffuse disease.
✔✔Pulmonary function test - ✔✔Used to assess organ involvement.
✔✔Echocardiogram - ✔✔Used to assess organ involvement.
✔✔Management of scleroderma - ✔✔No cure—symptom-based.
, ✔✔Raynaud's treatment - ✔✔CCBs (Nifedipine).
✔✔Skin fibrosis treatment - ✔✔Methotrexate or Mycophenolate.
✔✔GERD treatment - ✔✔PPIs.
✔✔Renal crisis treatment - ✔✔ACE inhibitors (Captopril).
✔✔Vasodilators - ✔✔CCBs.
✔✔Antihypertensives - ✔✔ACE inhibitors.
✔✔GI meds - ✔✔PPIs.
✔✔Fatigue prevalence - ✔✔Common in primary care; affects up to 20% of adults, more
in women.
✔✔Fatigue pathophysiology - ✔✔Multifactorial — can result from metabolic, endocrine,
infectious, psychiatric, or medication-induced causes.
✔✔Central fatigue - ✔✔Impaired CNS arousal (e.g., depression, sleep deprivation).
✔✔Peripheral fatigue - ✔✔Muscle or neuromuscular dysfunction (e.g., anemia,
hypothyroidism).
✔✔Acute fatigue duration - ✔✔Less than 1 month.
✔✔Chronic fatigue duration - ✔✔More than 6 months.
✔✔Initial diagnostics for fatigue - ✔✔CBC → anemia, infection; CMP → renal/hepatic
disorders; TSH → thyroid dysfunction; ESR/CRP → inflammatory causes; Glucose/A1C
→ diabetes; Depression screening (PHQ-9), sleep assessment.
✔✔Differential diagnoses for fatigue - ✔✔Endocrine: Hypothyroidism, adrenal
insufficiency; Metabolic: Anemia, CKD; Psychiatric: Depression, anxiety; Infectious:
Mono, HIV, hepatitis; Medication-related: Beta-blockers, sedatives.
✔✔Management of fatigue - ✔✔Address underlying cause (e.g., treat anemia, manage
thyroid disease); Lifestyle: Sleep hygiene, physical activity, balanced diet;
Psychological: CBT for depression/anxiety.
✔✔Antidepressants for fatigue - ✔✔SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline).
